Last gasp Ollie Lynch goal sends Carrigaline through to P1 U16 HC semi-finals

Carrigtwohill's Jack Flanagan gets away from Carrigaline's Eoghan Ahern in their P1 U16 HC playoff in Carrigtwohill on Thursday.
Carrigaline had been second best for much of their Premier 1 U16 Hurling Championship play off with Carrigtwohill, but that all changed in the final 10 minutes.
Conor Murphy fought his way through the Carrigtwohill defence, but not without dropping the ball. It didn’t matter though.
He scooped his shot over Adam Lee, and into the net.
Ten minutes to go, 1-10 each.
Cork U16 Charlie Hanratty’s free two minutes later nudged the visitors in front, but Sam Ring notched an even better one in the 56th minute, sparking a huge cheer from the young Carrigtwohill supporters behind the goal.
His leveller lifted the hosts – and they raised the intensity as their Cork U16s took the spotlight.
Three times Cillian Rooney emerged with the ball from full-back to clear any Carrigaline threat, while Tom Walsh, brother of Carrigtwohill senior Sean, made a superb diving block. Jarlath Cullimore then had his sideline deflected, but it fell to his midfield partner Cillian Galvin.

An inch of space was all it required, and he popped it over the bar.
The celebrations from behind the goal told all – Carrigtwohill were one point ahead in added time.
Within 30 seconds Ring had raised another white flag for the hosts. The cheer was louder, and the gap was bigger.
Carrigaline’s only hope now was a goal.
In the 62nd minute, they did it.
Dropped into Carrigtwohill’s square, it was almost impossible to see through the sea of players. But Ollie Lynch got the ball in hand, and shot.
The net rippled and the Carrigaline players celebrated – until their elation turned to despair.
Referee Willie Wallis deemed it to be a square ball.
After deliberating with the umpire, the goal was given. Carrigaline got the win, and booked a semi-final tie with Sarsfields on Monday night in the Mardyke, and you could see how much it meant.

After the two had drawn last week in their final group game, it was always going to be close.
After losing out to Kiltha Óg twice last year – once in the P2 Féile and again in the U15 Hurling Championship final, Carrigaline moved up to P1, and they’ve made it count, even if it was too close for comfort.
It was a gallant effort from the hosts right to the very end, but one side had to be eliminated. It wasn’t going to be Carrigaline, even though Carrigtwohill had produced a much better start.
Ring assisted Walsh before adding two frees for the hosts, while points from Charlie Hanratty and Sam Collins left Carrigtwohill ahead by the minimum after 12 minutes.
Carrigtwohill’s only goal arrived two minutes later when Ring caught Carrigaline out from a free – striking it low and hard, punishing his opponents for a lapse in concentration.

By the 23rd minute the east Cork side were five in front, though Carrigaline would have found the back of the net were it not for a superb save from Adam Lee to deny Eoghan Ahern at close range.
Morgan Foley assisted Ring to restore Carrigtwohill’s five point advantage, but their opponents got the next three through Hanratty and Cork U16 Ronan Murphy, cutting the gap to two at half time, 1-6 to 0-7.
The hosts continued to impress on the restart but impressive defending from Carrigaline captain Diarmaid Ó Beoláin stopped Ring from potentially netting a second.
The Carrigdhoun side hit three in a row to draw parity after 43 minutes, but Carrigtwohill remained composed.
They responded with three white flags of their own, the last coming from the hurl of Jack Flanagan in the 49th minute as he starred at half-back, but the twists and turns were only about to begin.

S Ring 1-7 (1-5 f), T Walsh 0-3, M Foley, J Flanagan, C Galvin 0-1 each.
C Hanratty 0-7 (0-6 f), O Lynch, Conor Murphy 1-0 each, R Murphy, Cillian Murphy, S Collins, G O’Brien 0-1 each.
A Lee (Cpt); J O’Sullivan, C Rooney, C Cashell; K Kidney, R Thornhill, J Flanagan; J Cullimore, C Galvin; D Horgan, T Walsh, J O’Connor; M Foley, S Ring, B Fitzgerald.
S Power for Horgan (36), S O’Donovan for Foley (56).
T Laverty; C Kehoe, D Carroll, J O’Grady; G O’Brien, M Kiernan, D Ó Beoláin; R Murphy, O Lynch; E Ahern, S Collins, F Walsh; Conor Murphy, C Hanratty, Cillian Murphy.
J Murphy for O’Grady (46), D Fehily for Collins (55).
Willie Wallis (Aghada)